Before teaming up with Keely Smith, Prima was already a popular trumpet player, singer and consumate SHOWMAN for over a decade who'd already been married three times. He had scored success by writing the swing anthem "Sing, Sing, Sing" a huge hit for for Benny Goodman, and scored with some novelty tunes for himself like "Robin Hood", "Bell Bottom Trousers" in 1945 and 1948's "Civilization (Bongo Bongo Bongo)". Prima had emerged from the New Orleans jazz scene, before starting a big band, and his charm & looks had him selling out major venues nationwide including drawing record crowds to New York's Paramount Theater. His records often played upon his Sicilian heritage, and novelty tracks included "Please No Squeeza Da Banana," and "Josephine, Please No Lean On The Bell."
He was considered a bit philanderous, and dated numerous women even when married. The boisterous & colorful Italian-American performer had already operated a nightclub under the name the "Famous Door" in Los Angeles where he also began dating starlets & using show biz contacts to appear in some films alongside fellow performers like Bing Crosby.
Dorothy Jacqueline Keely aka Keely Smith was discovered by Prima in Norfolk VA on tour in the late 1940's. She came up to the bandstand and won an impromptu talent contest with her voice. Prima took an instant liking to her dry wit and got the young girl's mother to sign a permission slip and she hit the road with the band. At the time Prima was signed to Columbia, and they began recording material under the direction of Mitch Miller.
Prima's career had many ups & downs, and his financial status was always precarious. By the early 1950's, with his popularity waning he could no longer afford to pay a big band, and he could find no steady work anymore on the east coast. After a desperate plea to an old talent agent friend, he was signed to play five graveyard sets in a small lounge in a new Las Vegas casino called the Sahara in 1954. Legend has it that Prima was so broke when he arrived in the desert outpost that his shoes had holes in them.
Explaining his situation to his brother in New Orleans, it was arranged that a small combo of young musicians led by Sam Butera would be shipped out to Las Vegas pronto to back Louis & Keely.
Barely having met before their opening night, the group instantly became a hit in Las Vegas, and they performed nightly from midnight until 6 am. Prima would blow his horn ala Louis Armstrong, joking, jigging and jostling against Butera on the tiny stage. Keely would ignore the boys hyperactive hub bub, filing her nails, and looking bored & blase' between her vocal lines. The audiences ate up the mix of comedy & hot swing sounds.
The tiny Casbar lounge began filling up early and joining stray gamblers some nights were other show people and celebrities like Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack entourage. Suddenly, like a phoenix, Prima was back on top and was offered a recording contract from Sinatra's label Capitol.
They had numeous hits, and the casino show excitement was captured live for the 1956 album the album The Wildest! They later won a Grammy in 1959 for their collaboration on "That Old Black Magic".
The liner notes described their combination of talents:
"By all odds, the combination of Louis Prima and Keely Smith shouldn't work. How could Louis, a confirmed inciter to riot, and Keely, normally a model of smoky-voiced sobriety, do anything but clash? But clash they don't. Explode they do!"
-from The Hits Of Louis And Keely, Capitol Records
Despite having two children, Prima and Smith divorced in the early 1960's after it became apparent the couple were no longer aligned, most conspicuously the curious culprit Louis "Just a Gigolo" Prima being unable to curb his wandering eye. He eventually remarried for a 5th and final time to Gia Maione and continued the act in a similar vein while Keely Smith went on to a solo career that continues to this day as a popular balladeer.
Come Rain Or Come Shine
Louis Prima & Keely Smith Lyrics
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Come rain or come shine.
High as a mountain and deep as a river,
Come rain or come shine.
I guess when you met me
It was just one of those things,
But don't ever bet me,
"Cause I'm gonna be true if you let me.
Come rain or come shine.
Happy together, unhappy together
And won't it be fine.
Days may be cloudy or sunny,
We're in or we're out of the money,
But I'm with you always,
I'm with you rain or shine.
The lyrics to Louis Prima & Keely Smith's song "Come Rain or Come Shine" describe a love that is unwavering and eternal, no matter what obstacles or challenges may arise. The singer promises to love their partner unconditionally, regardless of whether they are experiencing highs or lows in life. The metaphor of a mountain and a river emphasizes the depth and longevity of the singer's commitment, suggesting that their love is both unchanging and formidable.
The second stanza reveals that the couple may not always be happy, but they will stick together through thick and thin. Whether they are rich or poor, whether their future is bright or cloudy, they will remain devoted to each other. The use of the phrase "happy together, unhappy together" suggests that the couple recognizes that life is not always perfect, but they are willing to work through their difficulties and maintain their relationship. Overall, the song celebrates the endurance and power of true love.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna love you like nobody's loved you,
I will love you with every ounce of love that nobody has ever shown you before.
Come rain or come shine.
No matter the circumstances, I will always love you.
High as a mountain and deep as a river,
My love for you goes as high as the highest mountain and runs deep as the river goes deep.
Come rain or come shine.
Regardless of how difficult things become, you can rely on my love and faithfulness.
I guess when you met me
Perhaps, it was just a coincidence that we both met.
It was just one of those things,
Meeting you was unexpected, lucky and purely coincidental.
But don't ever bet me,
But, never doubt my love for you because I will always be loyal to you.
"Cause I'm gonna be true if you let me.
If you give me the opportunity, I will remain true and honest to you forever.
You're gonna love me like nobody's loved me,
You will love me intensely and with every bit of love that nobody else has ever shown me.
Come rain or come shine.
Our love will survive any challenge or storm that comes our way.
Happy together, unhappy together
We'll be together in good and bad times
And won't it be fine.
It will be great to have each other in every moment of our life.
Days may be cloudy or sunny,
We may face both pleasant and unpleasant situations.
We're in or we're out of the money,
We may hit a rough patch financially and financially stable the other times.
But I'm with you always,
But one thing that is certain is that I will be with you always.
I'm with you rain or shine.
I will stay true to my word through any circumstance, no matter how challenging it may seem.
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind